Since I first got the ShadowPress folders I had an idea of covering an entire background with them. I used a whole bunch of different folders, but it will also look nice if you use just one and repeat that word over and over. I made a layout, but you can use the same techniques on a card or for art journaling. The layout has a dinosaur theme since the photo was taken after a dinosaur outing together with a new favourite toy.
Start by cutting manila cardstock into strips, about 4 cm (1.6 in) wide. Press Distress Inks on your craft sheet and mist with water. Smear the paper into the inks.
When the ink is dry, stamp the papers with the croc pattern stamp and Peeled Paint ink. You can use any background stamp for this, as long as it isn't too busy. If you hold the cling stamp in your hand instead of mounting on an acrylic block, you get a more random impression.
Carefully dab Jet Black ink on the raised part of the letters. Try not to get ink anywhere else on the folder. Place the paper strip inside the folder, and hold it still with a piece of masking tape. Emboss using this sandwich: multipurpose platform tab 1, cutting pad, folder with paper inside, second cutting pad.
Continue until you have embossed enough strips. I repeated some of the words. Distress the edges and ink with Walnut Stain. The background paper is Motif Cardstock, which has a resist pattern. I inked it with Peeled Paint and Forest Moss.
Use a sewing machine to stitch all the words in place. Don't worry if the spacing is not perfect everywhere. With different words and colours, this background can work for any topic. I love the look of those words.
Adhere cork to mat board and die cut the title with the Block Talk Lowercase die. The letters on this die are pretty narrow, so a long word such as this one, doesn't take too much space.
My son is very interested in how birds are related to dinosaurs, so I had to add some birds to this page. Die cut from grungeboard. I also die cut a second bird, but forgot to include it in this photo.
Also die cut to strips of Courtyard Frameworks from grungeboard. Paint the shapes with Distress Paint.
When the paint is dry, sand the shapes to distress them and ink with Walnut Stain.
Under the photo there is a piece of kraft-core cardstock embossed in two different folders and sanded. I also die cut two flourishes from cork.
Give the birds an eye and place them on the branch so that it looks like they are chatting to each other.
The inky word panels, in combination with the distressed edges and stitching make for an interesting background.
Instead of using cork, you could ink or paint the letters.
Thank you so much for looking!
Happy crafting!
Anna-Karin
Supplies:
Surfaces: Ranger Manila Cardstock; Tim Holtz Coredinations Kraft-Core cardstock; Tim Holtz idea-ology: Motif Cardstock, Mini Collage Paper Stash, Grungeboard; Sizzix Little Sizzles Mat Board; cork
Embossing folders: Sizzix: ShadowPress Debossing Folders: Authentic Set, Documented Set, Family & Friends Set, Expedition Set; Texture fades: Drapery & Woodgrain, Eye Chart & Formulas
Stamps: Stamper's Anonymous Tim Holtz: Graph & Croc
Ink: Ranger Archival Ink: Jet Black; Distress Ink: Peeled Paint, Walnut Stain, Forest Moss, Frayed Burlap, Gathered Twigs
Paint: Distress Paint: Walnut Stain, Barn Door, Peacock Feathers
Embellishments: Tim Holtz idea-ology: Elements Tissue Tape; twine